Manchester City's £18m bid for Jonny Evans is too low for West Brom

                                                  By Jim Gracey       August 17 2017

Northern Ireland defender Jonny Evans could be set for a sensational return to Manchester, not to his old club United but to rivals City.

And he could move back for more than twice the £8million he was sold for to West Brom by United's then boss Luis van Gaal.

City are expected to return with a second offer for Evans, after West Brom rejected an initial opening bid of £18m.

The 29-year-old has been a wanted man this summer with Brom rejecting two earlier bids from Leicester City.

Now Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola sees him as an ideal player as he seeks to bolster his options in central defence.

City were often caught short in that area last season, with just three senior centre halves in Nicolas Otamendi, John Stones and Vincent Kompany. West Brom expect to have to fend off another offer, but it would take a sum significantly greater than £18m to tempt them into a sale in the current market.

Evans won three Premier League titles at City's crosstown rivals United, having been a youth player there before finally leaving for West Brom in 2015.